LA father separated from toddler by federal agents outside Home Depot: Here's why

Man arrested by ICE with toddler in car

A man got detained by ICE while a toddler was sitting in the back of the car in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES - Federal authorities confirmed agents snatched a toddler during an arrest outside a Home Depot in Los Angeles.

What we know:

The organization, Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, said a man and a toddler were both in the process of an "unsettling arrest" on Tuesday, November 4. 

Federal authorities later confirmed it was a 32-year-old man and his son. 

LARRN said the arrests happened as federal agents were staging inside the Dodger Stadium parking lot, which is a short distance from the Cypress Park location of Home Depot, where the detainment took place.

Federal agents drove off from the scene with the baby inside the vehicle, LARRN said. The family of the child later told FOX 11 that the toddler has since been reunited with their mother.

What they're saying:

LARRN issued the following statement in the wake of the arrests:

"The LARRN strongly denounces the presence of armed federal agents at various locations throughout Los Angeles on a day when Angelenos are exercising their civic duty to vote.

The presence of masked federal agents is meant to cause chaos, threaten our entire community, and ultimately suppress our right to vote.

The abduction of a man and an infant at a Cypress Park Home Depot parking lot demonstrates the crass and cruel nature of the racially motivated, random snatchings taking place in our neighborhoods.

The LARRN is working to find the whereabouts of the infant and adult male.  Any details that could help us identify the man can be shared with the LARRN’s hotline (888) 624-4752."

On Wednesday, November 5, the day after the incident, the man's mother publicly called for the release of her son. The man's mother argued that her granddaughter needs her dad back home.

DHS releases a statement

The other side:

The Department of Homeland Security released the following statement regarding the incident.

"During a targeted immigration enforcement operation, a U.S. citizen exited his vehicle WIELDING A HAMMER and THREW ROCKS at law enforcement while he had a child in his car. He was arrested for assault and during his arrest a pistol was found in his car that was reported stolen out of the state of New York. The individual has an active warrant for property damage. We refuse to apologize for enforcing the law. The operation resulted in the arrest of 5 [undocumented immigrants] from Mexico and Guatemala who were all breaking our nation’s immigration laws. Their criminal histories include DUI, driving without a license, and previous removal, which is a felony."

What we don't know:

As of November 5, DHS has not provided evidence of the man throwing rocks at federal agents. There were also no photos provided by officials of the man wielding the aforementioned hammer.

Those who knew the dad did not confirm or deny if their loved one had an active warrant issued against them.